Spring-hinge.



,PATENTED JULY 3, 1906.

A .FALKENRATH.

- SPRING HINGE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 31. 1905.

G/ctmmy I Witness MX ALBERT FALKENRATH, OF RAOINE, WISCONSIN.

SPRING-HINGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, 1906.

Application filed July 31, 1905. Serial No. 272,026.

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT FALKENRATH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Racine, in the county of Racine and State of l/Visconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Spring-Hinges, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to spring-hinges, and particularly to double-acting spring-hinges, and has for its principal object the provision of such a hinge in which certain of the parts are made from sheet metal and in which the Wearing of the parts due to friction shall be reduced to a minimum.

A further object is to provide a hinge in which the parts may be readily assembled and are accurately centered when assembled.

The invention consists in the novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and shown in the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings, in which like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the various figures, Figure 1 is a view in cross-section, taken on line 1 1 of Fig. 2 and showing the construction of my improved hinge. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same with one wing opened at a right angle to the intermediate web, part of said web being broken away and one barrel shown in vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 3 shows a side leaf of the hinge in elevation. Fig. 4 is a detached view of the central web. Fig. 5 is an end view of the same. Figs. 6 and 7 show the pintle-sockets with their spring-slots and their securing and adjusting pin-holes. Fig. 8 shows a modified form of lower pintle-socket.

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 designate the parts to be hinged together, which may be a door and door-jamb, respectively. The hinge is composed of two side leaves 3 and 10 and a central leaf or web 5. Each of the side leaves 3 and 10, which are preferably similar, is formed from a sheet of metal folded upon itself to provide barrels S 9 and a flat leaf portion proper. The leaf portions proper are preferably strengthened by a stiffening strip 3", which is placed be tween the folds of the leaf, and both it and the folds are perforated, as shown, to receive screws 3 4 for attachment to the door and door-jamb. The intermediate leaf or web 5 consists of a substantially rectangular plate carrying four projecting lugs or winged seats 6 7 and 6 7 between which the barrels 8 and 9 are supported. The lugs are made integral withthe plate, the whole being preferably one casting, although it may be made of sheet metal with the lugs slotted on.

At least one connection between the barrel and the wings of the central web consists of the pintle-socket and spring-holder 11 and sleeve 16, (shown enlarged and detached in Fig. 7, where it will be seen that the pintlesocket is formed with a reduced portion 15, formed with a slot 12 to receive the end of spring 13 and a base portion 18.) Sleeve 16 is perforated to fit and move freely about reduced portion of pintle-socket and spring-holder 11 and has a portion formed to fit snugly within the barrel 9 and a flange 17, which constitutes a seat for the barrel, and has an external periphery flush with the peripheries of the barrel 9 and base 18 of the pintle-socket and spring-holder 11.

The base 18 of the pintle-socket 11 is provided with holes 19 for the reception of an adjusting-tool and a retaining-pin 20. This pin 20 when spring 13 is tensioned by turning the pintle-socket and spring-holder rests against the central leaf or web 5, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and forms the means of adjustment according to which of the holes 19 it occupies.

The upper pintle-socket and spring holder 21 has a slotted part 22 for the reception of the upper end of spring 13, the flange 23 being turned so as to fit snugly into the'barrel, in the upper end of which it is firmly secured by a pin 24, passing through a hole in the barrel-shell and into the hole in the socket.

The base 18 of the lower socket rests upon the wing 7, and the base 23 of the upper socket abuts against the under side of and flush with the edges of wing 6, the barrel completely inclosing the upper socket and fitting flush with the base of wing 6, while the lower end of the barrel rests upon the flange 17 of sleeve 16, so as to fit flush with Wing 7. The object of the lower pintlesocket and spring-holder and sleeve-construction is to provide an ellicient bearing other than the barrel itself, so that when worn one or both of these parts may be readily removed and replaced with very little trouble and expense. This form of connection may also be employed in place of the IIO upper pintle-socket, if desired. The wings extend out from the plate 5 just far enough to give the barrels a working fit, thus leaving as little of the hinge exposed as possible.

In assembling the hinge the ends of the spring are slipped into the slots formed in the sockets. Then the barrel is slipped over the spring with its lowerend resting on the flange 17 of sleeve 16, after which socket 21 is secured to barrel 9 by pin 24. Then the barrel is slipped in between the winged seats 6 7 and pintle 26 is run through the perforations formed in the wings and pintle-sockets and through the spring. Finally, the knobs 27 are placed thereon, one above wing 6 and the other below wing 7, and the pintle is upset on said knobs, so as to hold the parts firmly together.

While I have described a sleeve upon which the barrel is supported to give it a better working surface on the pintle-socket, it isobvious that the barrel may rest upon a shoulder cut in the socket itself, as shown in Fig. 8. Likewise the stiffening-strip between the folds of the side leaves may be omitted and various minor changes may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a spring-hinge, a leaf adapted to be connected to a part to be hinged and formed from a sheet of metal folded upon itself to provide a barrel, a cooperating leaf having projecting wings between which said barrel is secured, a pintle-socket and spring-holder at one end of said barrel engaging one of said wings and formed with a reduced portion within the barrel and a base, a sleeve upon said reduced portion and bearing upon said base, said sleeve being formed with aflange engaged by the barrel, a second pintle-socket and spring-holder at the opposite end of said barrel, a pintle securing said parts in operative position, an actuating-spring constructed to engage said pintle-sockets and spring holders within said barrel, and operative connections between the parts, substantially as described.

2. In a double-acting spring-hinge, leaves adapted to be connected to the parts to be hinged and each formed from a sheet of metal folded upon itself to provide a barrel, a central leaf or web having projecting wings between which said barrels are secured, a pintle-socket and spring-holder at one end of said barrel engaging one of said wings and formed with a reduced portion within the barrel and a base, a sleeve upon said reduced portion and bearing upon said base, said sleeve being formed with a flange engaged by a barrel, a second pintle-socket and springholder at the other end. of said barrel, a pintle securing said parts in operative position, an actuating-spring within said barrel constructed to engage said pintle-sockets and spring-holders, and operative connections between the parts, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT FALKENRATH. l/Vitnesses:

J. J. BITTER, H. BITTER. 

